When The Sacred Is Torn From Your Life
by EOLuvFrv
Summary: "This is what it means to be held. How it feels, when the sacred is torn from your life..." From Held by Natalie Grant. A house fire rips almost everything away from Olivia. How will she deal? Will she survive the loss? Can Elliot save her from herself?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Me no own, you no sue! I do NOT own any recognizable SVU characters! I'm just having a little fun with them and will return them when my story is done!**

**_A/N: I was gonna wait until I had a few chapters done before posting this, but I'm impatient! Chapter 2 is almost ready, so it won't be too long until it's posted as well. I'm also working on an update for my first SVU fic, Her Guiding Light, so hopefully that will be posted soon too. Please, please, please review! Review truly motivate me to write more and update sooner!_**

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><p><span>Chapter One<span>

"Elliot! Thank God!" Fin called as Elliot entered the squad room.

"What is it?" Elliot asked as the other man stood quickly, dropping his desk phone back into its' cradle.

"Why the heck is your cell turned off?" Fin growled, his fear coming out as frustration.

Elliot pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and looked at it. He hit the button, turning it on. "I turned it off when I was at the hospital with Liv. I guess I forgot to turn it back on."

"I've been trying to get ahold of you for nearly an hour!"

"I went back to my place to get a shower and change clothes. Why were you calling me?" he frowned as he noticed the worry and slight panic in Fin's eyes. "What's wrong?"

"The hospital called for you a little over an hour ago," Captain Cragen answered as he stepped out of his office.

"Hospital?" Elliot asked as panic began to rise in his chest. "Is it Liv? Is she alright? What happened?" he fired the questions off in rapid succession.

"They were trying to get ahold of Olivia and you are her next-of-kin and emergency contact." Cragen responded, trying to keep himself and his detectives calm.

"What?" Elliot asked with a look of total confusion.

"Apparently, Olivia checked herself out, against medical advise, shortly after you left the hospital. She forgot to take her medicine and discharge papers with her. A nurse found them in her hospital room, a few minutes after she left."

"Crap!" Elliot exclaimed as he hit the 1 on his cell phone, speed dial for Olivia's cell. He growled as it went straight to her voicemail.

"The hospital tried calling her cell phone several times but she didn't answer, so they called you," Cragen explained.

"She has it turned off now. I got her voicemail on the first ring."

"I can't raise her on her cell or on her home phone," the concern was evident in Fin's voice. "I've been trying ever since the hospital called. Munch went to her old apartment and banged on her door for a good twenty minutes but he couldn't raise her either. He finally got the supervisor to open Olivia's door, he searched her apartment twice… she's not there."

"What in the world would have possessed her to check out AMA? Especially this soon after surgery!" Elliot wondered. "Did she check Jordyn out too?" he asked, referring to Olivia's four year old daughter.

"They didn't say," Cragen answered. "Wait… surgery? What surgery?" his voice faltering as panic surged into his chest.

"She had surgery late last night, a little while after you guys left," he admitted.

"What kind of surgery? Why didn't you call us to come back?" Fin frowned in confusion.

"There's…" Elliot struggled to find the right words. "There's more to her injuries than you all know."

"Tell us," Cragen reached out and put his hand on the shoulder of his, clearly distraught, detective.

"I can't," he choked out, trying to hold back the tears. "Not without Liv. And I offered to call you guys to come back but Liv… well, she was really upset and didn't feel up to having any visitors."

Cragen nodded. "You did the right thing. She didn't need any added stress. You know where to find me when you're ready to talk."

"Thanks Cap. I need to go find -" Elliot's response was cut off when his cell phone rang. He glanced down at the caller ID and quickly answered. "Stabler."

Fin and Cragen waited, becoming nervous as the color drained from Elliot's face. Fin hurried around his desk as Cragen moved closer too.

"Yeah… soon…" finding his voice, Elliot answered the person on the phone then hung up.

"What's wrong?" Cragen asked.

"Was that the hospital?" Fin threw in his question too.

Elliot nodded but didn't say anything… couldn't say anything. He felt like the air had literally been knocked out of him. He couldn't believe what he had just heard, he just couldn't wrap his mind around it.

"What did they say?" Cragen prodded gently. The thought of Olivia being hurt anymore than she already was, terrified him. She was like a daughter to him, the closest he'd ever had to a daughter and he loved her unconditionally. In the past, he and Elliot had fought over Olivia more times than he could count; he liked Elliot but he thought she deserved better. Over the past couple of days though, he had seen Elliot's heart and just how much he truly loves Olivia and how devoted he is to her. He could see now that they belong together.

"I have to go find Liv," he answered.

Knowing how Elliot almost never cries, the tears pooling in Elliot's eyes put both Cragen and Fin on high alert.

"Elliot!" Fin called roughly, trying to jerk him out of the auto-pilot mode he seemed to be in.

Elliot's eyes flicked over to Fin, as he tried to find his voice again.

"What happened? What did the hospital want?"

"They need someone to come sign some papers and tell them -" Elliot's voice cracked as he fought to hold back a sob. "Tell them which funeral home to call."

There was a moment of complete silence before Munch's voice startled them all. "What? Funeral home?" he asked, having just come in and caught the tale end of Elliot's comment.

"Elliot, what are you saying?" Cragen asked for clarification.

"Jor… Jordyn took a turn for the worse…" the tears finally spilled down his face. "She was burned worse than they thought…" he looked up and swallowed hard as he saw the tears streaming down the faces of the three other men. Elliot swiped at the tears on his cheeks as he continued. "Liv was holding her when she took her last breath."

"That fire took way too much from her," Cragen's voice was eerily calm as he referred to the house fire that had destroyed Olivia's new house, that she was in the process of moving into. It had destroyed all of her belongings that she had already moved, just a couple of days before, and injured both Olivia and Jordyn. And now had claimed the life of her child.

"I have to go find Liv."

"We'll split up and all go," Munch spoke up. "One of us is bound to find her."

"No," Elliot said as fresh tears flowed down his face. "I know where she is."

"Are you sure?" Fin questioned.

"Positive. I know exactly where she went."

"Go take care of your fiancée. We'll call to check on her later, just keep your cell on." Cragen instructed, his voice cracking as tears slid down his face.

Elliot headed toward the door to leave but stopped before he got there. "Liv and I are gonna need some time, Cap." his voice wavered, his emotions threatening to overtake him as he thought of the little girl he loved as if she was his own.

Cragen nodded immediately, "You've got it, just take care of her."

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><p><strong><em>AN 2: So, what'd you think? :) _**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own them, wish I did though! :~) All recognizable SVU characters belong to Dick Wolf. **

_**A/N: Chapter two... the beginning of a bumpy ride. Hope you enjoy! Review?**_

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><p><span>Chapter Two<span>

It wasn't long before Elliot pulled into a parking lot and turned the ignition off. He sat behind the wheel, not moving from the car just yet. He leaned over and rested his forehead on the steering wheel. Tears spilled from his eyes as thoughts of Jordyn flooded his senses.

She wasn't his… not biologically. But Jordyn was his little girl, no matter whose blood flowed through her veins. He was at every prenatal appointment and in the delivery room the day she was born, he even cut the umbilical cord. He was supposed to be her "Uncle El", but when Jordyn started calling him "Daddy" a little over a year later, neither Elliot or Olivia corrected her. He adored her and loved her as if she was his own.

Olivia was ecstatic that her daughter was so taken by the man that she had fallen head over heels for, her best friend of many years and now her new boyfriend. Her partner, the man she trusted with her life both on and off the job, was helping her raise her baby girl. Olivia thanked God everyday for putting Elliot in Jordyn's life… and her own life as well.

As Jordyn got older and as Olivia and Elliot's relationship progressed, Jordyn and Elliot grew closer as well. They adored each other, and there was nothing that he wouldn't do for her. She was his little girl, his pride and joy. She even had her own room, filled with toys and clothes, at his apartment.

After a few minutes, Elliot slowly raised his head and wiped away his tears. He took a deep breath and slowly blew it out as his eyes scanned the picnic area of the city park in front of him. Olivia was nowhere in sight… but he knew she was here. This was where they brought Jordyn to play at least three times a week. Jordyn loved this park. Elliot knew, without a doubt, that this is where he would find his fiancée.

He got out of his car and shoved his hands into his pockets as he walked across the picnic area. It was a cloudy, dreary day… which fit his mood perfectly. He watched his feet as he shuffled along, around the corner of the public restrooms and forward toward the playground. He stopped about a hundred feet away from the playground and looked up. His eyes searched the play equipment and the benches that surrounded the area.

Just as he thought, there was Olivia, sitting alone on one of the park benches. Her eyes were red rimmed from crying. With the exception of the burns on her forehead and left cheek, her face was pale… so pale that the dark circles under her eyes looked like bruises and her cheeks had a hollow appearance. The cut that ran down her right cheek, from her temple almost to her mouth, looked irritated around the stitches that held it together. Her arms were bandaged in several places, covering the burns that he couldn't see but knew that they were there and he knew her legs and abdomen held the same. She sat so still, it seemed like she was frozen in place. Her eyes held a peculiar look, a haunted look, a look that Elliot had never seen on Olivia. He had seen it on plenty of victims… but never on his partner, his fiancée. Tears glistened in her eyes but did not fall.

Elliot walked over and sat down beside her. There was so much he wanted to say, he didn't know where to start. After a few moments of silence, he took a breath and spoke quietly. "The hospital called."

She didn't move, didn't respond.

"You left your medicine and discharge papers," he said as he wrapped one arm around her shoulders. "Livvy…"

"No," her voice was quiet but firm.

"You just had surgery last night," he gently pulled her to him. "You need to be where they can monitor you."

"No," she repeated, almost robotically.

"Sweetheart… please," Elliot's voice bordered on the edge of begging, he wasn't beyond begging if that's what he had to do.

Silently, she rose up, pulling away from him. She started to push up off of the bench but Elliot reached out and caught her hand.

"Ok," he agreed quickly, anything to keep her from running away again. "Ok. I won't push you to go back."

Olivia settled back on the bench and Elliot wrapped his arm around her shoulders again, drawing her to him.

They sat together in silence for a couple of minutes before Elliot dared to speak again. "The hospital also needs someone to come sign some papers and make some decisions for Jordie," he spoke softly, calling her daughter by the nickname that only their SVU family used.

She stiffened but didn't respond. She paled more, if that was even possible at this point. Her heart constricted painfully at the mention of her daughter and she swallowed hard to hold back a sob.

He held her a little closer as he spoke again. "They told me that you were with her… holding her when she died."

Olivia stiffened again. She pulled away, wincing hard as her incision stretched and burned.

Elliot reached over and laid his hand over her clothes where he knew her incision lay below. He applied gentle pressure to help alleviate the throbbing. "Easy, Love," he spoke softly. "You'll pop your stitches if you're not careful." He watched her face carefully, watching for signs that the pain had stopped or at least diminished a bit. His chest constricted as he watched her; he knew that no matter how much he wanted to take away her pain, in reality there was little he could do.

Without a word, she slowly and painfully stood. Her hand trembled as she laid it over the incision on her abdomen.

"Liv…" he watched as she slowly took a few steps away from him. "Where are you going?"

Tears pooled in her eyes, blurring her vision, then spilled over, running down her cheeks. She continued to slowly walk away, without answering him. The pain, both physical and emotional, was evident in her posture and gait. She didn't make it far before the physical pain got the best of her. Her steps faltered and she doubled over, holding her incision with one hand as her other hand rested on nearby bench.

Elliot jumped up and rushed over to her, reaching her just in time to catch her as her legs trembled and her knees gave out. "I got you," he whispered as he broke her fall and gently lifted her into his arms, being extremely careful to keep from hurting her more.

Still, she didn't reply. She closed her eyes and laid her head on his shoulder as the tears continued to pour down her face. Her silence was beginning to concern and unnerve him. In all the years that he had known her, he had never seen her in such a mute state. Even in times of extreme pain and sorrow, when she would talk to no one else, she always talked to him. The fact that she wouldn't speak, even to him, caused his stomach to clench with worry.

"Let's go home," he spoke softly.

Olivia remained motionless in his arms, giving no indication if she had heard him or not. She sighed quietly, not bothering to wipe away the tears that still rolled down her face.

Home… she didn't know where home was anymore. It wasn't the house that she had just bought, where she and Elliot were planning on moving in with Jordyn… it had gone up in flames, no longer their home. But where was home? Was it the apartment that she and Jordyn had lived in? Was it's Elliot's apartment? Where was home? She didn't know… and at this point, she wasn't sure she even cared anymore.

Elliot carried her to his car and eased her into the passenger seat. He breathed a quiet sigh of relief, thankful that Olivia had taken a cab to the park and that her stubborn streak had not included driving herself. He leaned in and buckled her seatbelt around her, being sure to leave the lap belt loose to keep it from rubbing her incision. Then closing her in the car, he walked around and got in the driver's side.

Olivia wasn't even aware that the car had started and was moving away from the park until Elliot spoke.

"I'm going to call Melinda when we get home and see if she can come over and check you out."

She turned and looked at him and he expected her to protest. But she just stared… not even _**AT**_ him, more like in his general direction. The vacancy he saw in her eyes scared him. It was if she was looking straight through him without seeing him.

"I need to know that you're doing okay physically. I think Melinda will be the best person to ask, don't you?" he asked, trying desperately to get her to talk or to at least give some sign of hearing him. He continued to drive with his left hand while he reached over with his right, taking Olivia's hand and gently lacing his fingers with hers. He glanced over to see if she was still looking at him. Seeing her gaze still turned toward him, he squeezed her hand lightly as he turned his eyes back to the road. "I'm here, baby. I'm right here with you," he whispered. "Please talk to me."

Olivia's eyes flickered to meet his for a brief second before she turned and looked out the passenger window.

Once they arrived at Elliot's apartment building, he helped her out of the car, then once again, lifted her into his arms and carried her upstairs to his apartment. He somehow managed to unlock his front door without putting Olivia down. He carried her through the apartment and into his bedroom. Gently, he lowered her to sit on the bed. "Want to change into something more comfortable?"

She looked at him but maintained her silence. Her gaze moved from him, down to her lap as she shifted uncomfortably, holding one hand over her incision.

"I bet those slacks are irritating your incision, humm?"

Olivia continued to stare down at her lap, without answering.

"How about a pair of my sweats and one of my t-shirts?" Elliot asked as he moved over to his dresser and retrieved the items along with a pair of his socks. He stepped back over to the bed and held the clothes out to his fiancée. "You need some help, Love?" he asked gently when she made no move to take the clothes from him. "I bet it's hard to move around with the burns and that fresh incision." He put the clothes on the bed beside Olivia, then knelt down in front of her. He tugged her shoes and trouser socks off and dropped them on the floor. He spent the next few minutes, slowly and gently helping Olivia change clothes, being mindful of her incision and bandaged burns. His sweats and t-shirt were baggy on her small frame, hanging loosely away from her bandages. He pulled the bedcovers back, allowing her to lay down, then pulled the covers up over her. "Just rest, Sweetheart. I'm gonna go make a cup of tea for you."

Tears glistened in Olivia's eyes but didn't fall as she laid her head down on Elliot's pillow. She turned her face away from him and stared silently at the bedroom wall. She sighed as conflicting emotions filled her mind and senses. She wanted nothing more than for Elliot to wrap her in his arms and hold her where nothing else could hurt her; but at the same time, she didn't want to be touched… by anyone.

Elliot quickly folded the clothes Olivia had been wearing and placed them on the dresser. He walked out of the bedroom, pulling the door almost closed, leaving it open a crack so he could hear her if she needed him. He made his way to the kitchen and put the kettle on the stove to boil. He quickly gathered the things he needed to make Olivia's tea, then pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. He scrolled through his contacts and selected Melinda's cell number. He hit the send button before raising the phone to his ear.

Only a moment passed before Melinda's voice came through the line. "Warner."

"Melinda, it's Elliot. I need your help," his greeting was short as he dropped a tea bag of Olivia's favorite tea into a mug.

"Is it Olivia? Fin told me that she signed herself out of the hospital AMA. Did you find her?" Melinda asked anxiously.

"Yeah, at the park where we…" his voice cracked and he swallowed back tears. "Where we…" his voice cracked again as tears clogged his throat.

"Where you took Jordyn to play," she completed his sentence. "Fin told me about Jordie too," she sighed sadly as her heart broke for her friends. "I'm so sorry, Elliot. I know that little girl meant the world to you."

"I'm alright," he fought to keep his voice steady as he answered.

"It's okay for you to cry too," Melinda spoke softly. "Even though you weren't her biological father, you were her daddy. And I know your heart is breaking right now."

Elliot cleared his throat. "I'm fine, but I'm really worried about Liv. She refuses to go back to the hospital."

"I expected as much," she sighed. "I'll come to you. Where are you?"

"At my apartment," he answered. "I got her changed into some loose fitting clothes and into bed. But Mel…"

"Yeah?"

"She's only spoken two words to me since I found her in the park… I can't get her to talk at all… I think she might be in shock."

Melinda sighed again as her concern for her friend increased tenfold. "That doesn't sound good. Especially since she has physical injuries to heal from as well."

"What should I do for her?"

"I honestly don't know yet. I need to talk to her and examine her before I have any answers for you."

"Okay," he paused for only a second. "Can you hurry?"

"Wait…" she replied as she remembered something from earlier. "Fin said that Liv had surgery last night after we all left?"

"Yeah…"

"What kind of surgery? That's something I definitely need to know."

"Can I explain it you when you get here? It deals with something Liv wanted to keep under wraps for awhile. I think she should tell you or if she won't talk, she should at least be in the room when I tell you." Elliot spoke rapidly, trying to explain.

"Elliot," Melinda broke in before he could start rambling again. "That's fine. I'll be right there, okay? I'm leaving right now."

"Thanks, Mel."

"No problem. We're all family, right?"

"Right," he responded quietly.

"Hang tight, El. I'm on my way. Just don't leave her by herself for very long."

The dial tone buzzed in his ear before he could respond. He dropped his cell phone back into his pocket. He sighed and rubbed his face with both hands, thankful that help was on the way.

The kettle whistled, startling Elliot out of his own thoughts. He reached over and turned the burner off; then grabbed the kettle and poured hot water into the mug, covering the tea bag. He replaced the kettle before pulling a small tray out of the cabinet. He quickly wiped away a few tears that slipped from his eyes and down his cheeks; then placed the cup of tea on the tray and added a few crackers as well. He knew Olivia hadn't touched her breakfast at the hospital earlier that morning and he seriously doubted she had eaten anything since she signed out.

Elliot stopped and turned, caught off guard by a sound. He listened for a few seconds before realizing that what he heard was Olivia, quietly sobbing. He picked up the tray and made his way back toward his bedroom as he silently prayed for guidance in how to help the woman he loved more than life itself.

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><p><strong><em>AN 2: There was only two reviews for the first chapter, so I dunno if people are enjoying this fic or not. I'd love to know what you think, good or bad. Leave me some reviews? Pretty please? :~)_**


	3. Chapter 3

_**Disclaimer: Dick Wolf owns all recognizable characters.**_

_**A/N: Hang on tight, we're in for a bumpy ride! Please let me know what you think! Many thanks and much love to my betas!**_

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><p><span>Chapter Three<span>

True to her word, Melinda was knocking on Elliot's apartment door less than ten minutes later.

Elliot left the bedroom and quickly opened the door. "Melinda…" he sighed in relief. "I'm so glad you're here."

"How is she?" Melinda asked, entering his apartment.

"Still not talking," Elliot answered as he closed the door and turned to face his friend and colleague. "She was sobbing when I hung up with you, I just got her calmed down a minute or two ago."

"At least, she's letting a little emotion out instead of keeping every bit of it bottled inside."

"I know that you don't normally work with live patients," he rubbed his face with both hands.

"True," the Medical Examiner responded. "But there are a few people that I make an exception for."

"Liv knows you; she trusts you and is comfortable with you."

"I'll do what I can for her."

"I know you will. I trust you, too."

"Bedroom?"

"Yeah," Elliot answered as he walked with Melinda to the closed door. He tapped lightly on the door before opening it and stepping inside.

"Liv… baby… Mel's here," he spoke quietly.

No sound came from the woman laying in bed with her back to the door.

Melinda stepped in the room, making her way around Elliot and over to the bed. "Hi, honey."

Olivia didn't respond, didn't turn to face Melinda or Elliot.

Melinda gently sat on the edge of the bed and gently rested her hand on Olivia's shoulder. "Liv…"

Still no response; Melinda turned to look at Elliot, the worry evident in her eyes.

Elliot shrugged helplessly, "She's been this way since I found her at the park."

Melinda applied gentle pressure to Olivia's shoulder, being careful of her burns. "Turn over, honey."

Olivia turned slightly and looked up at her friend.

Melinda gasped slightly at the dull, vacant look in Olivia's eyes.

Without a word, Olivia turned back to face the wall.

Recovering quickly, Melinda gently rolled Olivia over onto her back. "Let me look you over," she whispered.

Surprisingly, Olivia didn't resist the movement. She stared blankly up at the ceiling.

Melinda murmured quiet reassurances as she removed the visible bandages from Olivia's arms, tended to the burns and carefully re-bandaged them.

Elliot stood a few feet away from the bed, watching. "What can I do to help?" He swallowed hard, fighting to hold back his own tears. It broke his heart, knowing what she had to face… what they both had to face.

"I need to get under her sweats so I can check the burns on her legs," Melinda answered softly.

He nodded and moved over to the bed, helping Olivia into a sitting position. He sat behind her, allowing her to lean against his chest, as he helped Melinda gently pull down the sweats that encased his fiancée's hips and legs.

Once those burns were taken care of and re-bandaged, Melinda moved up the bed a short ways. "Almost done," she whispered. "Let me see the burns on your abdomen."

Olivia gasped quietly but didn't speak as she reached out and caught Melinda's hand before the doctor could raise her shirt.

"Shhh," Melinda soothed as she gently pulled her hand from Olivia's grasp. "I just need to check your burns, honey."

Tears pooled in Olivia's eyes as she held her arms across her torso, holding her shirt in place.

"I know it's still really sore where the burning beam landed across your stomach," Melinda said as she tried to move her friend's arms. "I'll be gentle," she promised. "But I need to check it, ok?"

Olivia closed her eyes, unable to stop the hot tears from rolling down her cheeks. She gripped her shirt tighter, refusing to let her arms be moved.

Melinda looked up at Elliot for help. She frowned in confusion, not understanding why Olivia wasn't letting her tend to the burns on her abdomen.

Elliot, still sitting behind Olivia, reached around and took both of her hands, gently moving her arms out of the way. "It's ok, Love. Let Melinda help."

Olivia's eyes popped open and she tried to pull away as even more tears pooled in her eyes before streaming down her face.

But Elliot kept his grip, refusing to let her go. "Shhh," he whispered into her ear from behind. "I'm right here, it's ok."

Melinda reached forward again and lifted Olivia's shirt, being extra careful to keep from hurting her. She tended to the burns and re-bandaged them as quickly as she could without causing her friend any more pain. She gently removed the final bandage and raised an eyebrow when she saw stitches and an incision rather than the burn she expected to find.

Olivia looked away as the other woman looked at her questioningly. She turned her head away, burying her face in Elliot's shoulder as much as she could from her current position of leaning back against his chest.

He reached up with one hand, gently brushing her tears away with his thumb. He kissed the side of her head then slowly met Melinda's gaze, tears pooling in his own eyes.

"Is this what I think it is?" Melinda asked softly. Receiving no answer, she looked up at her patient. "Liv?"

"We need to tell her, Beloved," Elliot whispered softly. "She needs to know."

Melinda turned her attention to the incision, checking it over as gently as possible.

Elliot held his fiancée close, hugging her to him, as silent sobs shook her body. "I know you don't want to talk, baby," he soothed. "You don't have to."

Olivia quickly turned to look and drew in a breath, the air hissing through her gritted teeth as Melinda touched an extremely sore spot.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she apologized. "I didn't mean to hurt you. We need to keep a close eye on this incision to make sure it doesn't become infected." The doctor gently applied some ointment to the incision and gently checked the stitches. "Tell me what happened here," she spoke kindly, her voice full of care.

Olivia turned her head back into Elliot's shoulder as fresh tears fell from her eyes.

"Can I tell her?" Elliot's voice was quiet and gentle.

Olivia nodded slightly as she gripped his hand tightly. She closed her eyes as tight as she could, wishing she could block out the sound of them talking. She was having a hard enough time accepting what had happened the night before, she didn't want to hear others talking about it.

"I'm right, aren't I?" Melinda asked as she re-bandaged the fresh incision. "It's what I think it is, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Elliot whispered. "It is. I know you're smart enough to know exactly what it is just from seeing it."

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><p><em><strong>AN 2: What is the incision? How long is Olivia's self-imposed silence going to last? Can anyone help her? Who is going to take care of making arrangements for Jordyn? These answers and more coming next if you want! Please review!**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Me no own, you no sue! All recognizable characters belong to Dick Wolf.**

**A/N: Thanks to my betas as always, you guys are awesome!**

**And thanks for the reviews! It really does make writing even more fun and rewarding when I get reviews that tell me what you guys are thinking!**

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><p><span>Chapter Four<span>

"Tell me," Melinda requested kindly.

"We… uh…" Elliot blinked back tears as he spoke. "We lost our baby last night."

Melinda sighed quietly and closed her eyes as Elliot continued, confirming her suspicions and fears.

"The doctors had been watching her closely, they were concerned about her and the baby," he explained softly as he held Olivia close and kissed the back of her head. "It wasn't long after you guys left; Liv started bleeding… internally," his voice shook as he fought to keep tears from falling.

"I'm so sorry," Melinda said as tears pooled in her own eyes. She reached up and gently squeezed Olivia's hand. "I'm so sorry," she repeated, her heart aching for her friends.

Elliot nodded his thanks as Olivia turned slightly and buried her face in his chest, silent tears streaming down her cheeks.

After a few moments of silence, Melinda spoke quietly. "How far along were you?"

Elliot paused, giving Olivia time to answer; but when she remained silent he answered for her. "Fifteen weeks. We thought it was best to wait until we made it past the first trimester before telling anyone."

Melinda nodded in understanding. "Chances of miscarriage goes down after the first trimester."

"We were gonna announce our pregnancy at the movie night we had planned for this Friday at the new house," he said as he gently rubbed Olivia's back.

"Did they say what caused the bleeding?" Melinda's voice was soft and caring.

"They don't know for sure, but it was probably from the burning beam that fell on Liv and had her trapped."

"That's what I was thinking too."

"The doctors rushed her into surgery…" he swallowed hard. "I've never been so scared in my entire life as I was right then. I honestly thought I was gonna lose them both," he wiped away his tears before continuing. "The doctors did all they could. Liv was just bleeding too much, they couldn't save the baby."

"You need to be in the hospital, honey," Melinda said as she laid a gentle hand on Olivia's knee.

"I tried to convince her to go back," Elliot sighed. "But I dropped it when she started to walk away."

Melinda reached up and gently turned Olivia's face toward her. "You really need to go back. What if you start bleeding again?"

Olivia's silent glare was enough to let Melinda and Elliot know that she was not going to willingly return to the hospital.

"I'd take her back but I know she'd just check herself out AMA again," Elliot admitted.

Melinda sighed, knowing that he was right.

"I don't know what to do," he admitted quietly as tears pooled in his eyes.

"She needs around the clock medical care right now."

"I know. I need help."

"It's important to keep the burns covered and clean. And it's better to do that in the hospital where we have better pain control options and better safety precautions."

"Mel… please," his voice was dangerously close to begging.

"She really needs more than I can give her," Melinda said quietly as she watched Olivia bury herself even deeper into Elliot's chest with silent tears continuing to roll down her face. "But I'll do what I can. I'll stay with you guys."

"Thank you," Elliot sighed in relief as a weight seemed to be lifted off of his shoulders.

Melinda laid a gentle hand on Olivia's leg, being careful to avoid her burns. "But if something happens that needs more medical attention than I can give, I'm gonna take you back to the hospital. Ok?"

Olivia nodded silently, without moving and without turning to look at her friend.

"No arguments if that happens. And no checking yourself out AMA. Ok?"

Another silent nod.

"Liv, I'm serious. I need you to promise me."

Olivia slowly turned, just enough to look at Melinda. She nodded silently again.

Melinda nodded as well, seeing the promise and the thankfulness in her friend's eyes. With tears in her own eyes, she held out her hand to Olivia.

Olivia reached out, even more slowly than her previous movement, and took Melinda's hand.

"Can I fill the rest of the guys in on what's happening?"

Olivia's eyes widened slightly and she shook her head no.

"We'll get you through this, honey. We're family, right?"

She nodded slowly.

"Ok, then. You know that we'll all be here to help."

Another slow nod.

"They need to know what's going on so they can help."

Olivia bit her bottom lip, thinking, debating with herself. Did she really want to reveal such a personal loss to everyone?

"We all love you… please, let us be here for you." Melinda's heart pounded in her chest as she prayed that her friend would let down the wall and let them be there to hold her up.

Olivia looked up at Elliot, trying to discern what he was thinking.

With only a look, he knew what she was asking. He nodded, agreeing with Melinda. "They should know, sweetheart. They love you and they're worried about you."

She bit her lip again as she shifted her gaze from Elliot to Melinda, back to Elliot and returning to Melinda once more. She blew out a small, quiet breath then nodded in agreement.

"Good," Melinda gently patted Olivia's leg with a small smile. "Now, have you eaten anything?"

"Very little," Elliot answered for his fiancée. "A few bites of toast at the hospital this morning and only a couple of crackers right after I called you."

Melinda nodded in acknowledgement. "We need to get some real food into you," she said, her voice soft and gentle.

Olivia closed her eyes as she leaned her head back against Elliot's shoulder and turned her face back toward the wall.

"I know you don't want to eat, I understand. But you really need to so you can get your strength back and get better."

She didn't move, didn't respond.

"What if I make some potato soup?" Elliot asked as he gently ran his fingers through Olivia's hair. "Do you think you could eat some?"

She opened her eyes and slowly tilted her head back to look up at him.

"Hmmm?" he prodded softly. "How about some homemade potato soup?"

Olivia continued to watch him as she tried to decide whether or not she wanted him out of her sight for that long. Two different desires battled inside of her. She didn't feel like being with anyone, she just wanted to be alone. But at the same time, she didn't want to be out of his arms. She was so confused and so tired of conflicting desires.

"Hmmm?" Elliot asked again, his voice full of love and patience, his eyes searching hers. He breathed a sigh of relief when she slowly nodded in approval. He dropped a kiss on her forehead before speaking. "Thank you," he whispered.

Melinda's heart ached at the sight of the tears pooling in Olivia's eyes as Elliot stood and walked out of the bedroom. She reached over and gently took ahold of Olivia's hand, being mindful of her burns. "I'll stay with you until he comes back."

A small smile conveyed Olivia's thanks before she tugged her hand free and slowly laid back down in the bed. She winced hard as she slowly turned onto her side, facing the wall once again.

"Liv…" Melinda's voice was gentle and pleading.

Olivia's entire body shook with silent sobs.

"Oh honey…" Melinda kicked her shoes off and scooted across the bed to Olivia. She reached out and carefully wrapped her arms around her friend.

Olivia stiffened immediately at her touch, wincing as she pulled away.

"Ok… Ok hon," Melinda moved a short distance away, giving Olivia the space she obviously needed. She leaned back against the headboard of the bed, propping a pillow up behind her back. "I'll stay right here, just in case you need me," she spoke softly. Tears pooled in her own eyes as she watched her friend's body tremble with quiet sobs; her heart broke, knowing there was nothing she could do to take Olivia's pain away. She couldn't imagine the level of pain that Olivia was feeling, emotionally and physically. She had to admit that it did sting to have her friend pull away from her; but on the other hand, she knew Olivia well enough to know that it wasn't anything against her. She knew that Olivia was hurting beyond anything that she has ever felt and recoiling from others' touch was just a knee jerk reaction.

~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~

A little later, Melinda silently followed Elliot out of the bedroom, quietly closing the door behind them.

Elliot sighed as he moved to the kitchen. He sighed before setting the tray he was carrying down on the cabinet next to the sink. "She didn't eat much."

"She ate more than I thought she would," Melinda admitted, coming up behind him.

"But it wasn't enough, she needs to eat more."

"True. Hopefully she'll eat more later."

Elliot sighed as he dumped what was left in the bowl down the sink. "You know… when Liv was pregnant with Jordyn, her morning sickness was so bad."

"I remember," Melinda answered with a small smile.

"The first trimester, the only thing she could keep down was this soup."

"Really? I didn't know it was that bad."

"Yeah," Elliot smiled slightly at the memory. "Everything else would come right back up. But not this soup."

Melinda chuckled quietly as her voice took on a teasing tone. "Maybe you should market it and sell it as a remedy for morning sickness."

A genuine smile graced his face and he chuckled as well. "Yeah, sure. I could probably quit my job and become a millionaire just off my homemade soup." His smile faded and he sighed again. "It was the same way with this pregnancy. Two and a half to three weeks ago was the first that Liv could keep anything, other than my soup, down."

Melinda reached up and gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze.

"And Jordie… when she was sick with a virus or the stomach flu, anything like that… this soup was the only thing that didn't make her sick," he smiled through his tears as memories of his little girl danced through his mind. "I guess it was just something about my girls and my soup," he reached up and wiped the tears from his face. "She wasn't really mine, I know," he whispered.

"That's where you're wrong," she interrupted him. "You weren't her biological father. But you were her daddy… the only daddy she knew… the only daddy she wanted. She was yours in every way that counts… your daughter."

Elliot nodded, tears in his eyes again. "Thanks," he whispered. "I needed to hear that."

A soft knock at the door broke into their conversation.

Elliot wiped away his tears yet again and quickly rubbed his face, trying to make himself look at least half way presentable. He crossed over to the front door and looked out the peephole. "It's Casey," he said before opening the apartment door.

"Elliot…" tears streamed steadily down Casey's face. "I just heard…"

"Come in," Elliot stepped back, allowing the ADA to enter, then closed the door behind her.

"I wish I had known earlier," she said as she greeted Melinda with a nod.

"Were you in court?" Melinda asked.

Casey nodded. "Fin was waiting outside the court when I got out. I wish he would have come in and told me immediately when it happened. I would have left court if I had known."

"I know you would have. Don't be upset with Fin, it wasn't his fault. He just did what I asked him to do," Elliot explained. "I asked him to wait until you got out. I didn't want to disturb you at work."

Casey nodded again and wiped away tears. "How's Liv?"

"Not good," Melinda answered. "She needs to be in the hospital."

"Her burns are that bad?"

"She had surgery last night after we left."

Casey frowned in confusion.

Melinda looked over at Elliot and at his nod of approval, she sighed. "Liv was pregnant."

"What?" the shock was written all over Casey's face. "Wait… was?"

"She started bleeding internally. She had to have surgery to stop the bleeding… but they couldn't save the baby."

Casey covered her mouth with one hand. "I'm so sorry," her words were slightly muffled as she turned her attention to Elliot.

"Thanks," he responded quietly.

She wiped the fresh wave of tears off of her cheeks. "How far…?"

"Fifteen weeks," Elliot answered, knowing what Casey was asking even though she left the question hanging, unfinished.

"I… I didn't know…"

"No one did," he said. "We were going to announce it Friday night."

"Is Liv in bed?" Casey asked as she started toward the bedroom.

"She's sleeping," Melinda's voice stopped Casey in her tracks.

"Listen, could you… uh…" Elliot closed his eyes for a brief second as he gathered his thoughts. "Melinda's staying with us to make sure Liv's ok medically. Could you stay with them while I go to the hospital to sign some papers for Jordie and to the funeral home to make arrangements?"

"Of course," Casey answered. She frowned in concern, watching Elliot rub his face with both hands. "But do you feel up to doing that?"

"Not really," Elliot answered honestly. "But Liv's in no shape to do it and it needs to be done, the sooner the better."

"I'll do it," Casey offered.

He looked over at her, the surprise evident on his face. "I… I dunno…"

"I was her godmother," Casey's voice cracked as she fought to hold back tears. "When Mommy and Daddy can't do something, Aunt Casey's next in line."

Elliot opened his mouth to answer but stopped when he heard muffled sobs coming from the bedroom. He turned to look at the door then looked back at Casey, the uncertainty obvious in his eyes.

Casey shrugged slightly. "I took her to the doctor and filled in other times when you guys couldn't do something."

"You don't mind doing this? It's not gonna be easy," he warned with tears in his eyes.

"I know. It's ok, I can handle it. Jordie was my niece, I owe her, and you and Liv, at least this much."

He looked toward the bedroom as Olivia's muffled sobs continued. He sighed then turned back to Casey. "Alright. Thank you."

She nodded. "I'll call or come by later with the details."

"I really appreciate it," gratitude filled his voice. "This really means a lot."

"That's what godmothers are for," she answered quietly then nodded toward the closed bedroom door the proudly hosted lavender and pink letters spelling out: "Jordyn's Space". "I'll go pick out an outfit to take to the funeral home and then I'll be on my way."

"Take one of her frilly dresses that Liv loves so much," Elliot said before walking across the living room and disappearing into the master bedroom to try to comfort his fiancée.

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><p><strong>AN 2: How do the rest of the SVU gang react to the news of Olivia's pregnancy and loss? Is anyone able to break through the wall Olivia has up and pull her out of her silence? Can Casey manage to make arrangements for Jordyn the way Elliot and Olivia would like? And Olivia… does her physical health improve or get worse? Wanna know? Let me know if you do! Please review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**_Please bare with me. I'm uploading this from my phone. So if the formatting is not right, I'll re-upload it and correct the mistakes the next time I'm on my laptop!_**

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing! All recognizable characters belong to Dick Wolf**_

_**A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews, favorites and follows! Feedback is very motivating! **_

_**As always, a special thanks to my betas! Your editing is priceless and amazing. Your friendship is even more precious! Thanks ladies!**_

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><p><span>Chapter Five<span>

A little while later, a quiet knock sounded at the door of Elliot's apartment.

Melinda used a bookmark to save her place and quietly set her book on the coffee table before rising from the couch. She walked over and looked through the peephole, then opened the door. "Casey…" she stepped back, allowing the red headed attorney to enter.

Casey stepped in and sighed heavily, tears glistening in her eyes.

Melinda closed the door then walked over to the other woman. She laid a hand on her friend's shoulder, offering silent support.

"That was the hardest thing I've ever done in my entire life," Casey whispered, her voice barely audible."I know," Melinda answered softly. "It was so brave of you to take that on."

Casey sighed again. "Liv and El didn't deserve to have to do it. "It's bad enough that they lost their daughter... and their baby. They shouldn't have to make the arrangements to bury Jordie. It was the least I could do for them."

Melinda remained silent as she led Casey to the couch. Once Casey was seated, Melinda went into the kitchen and quickly returned with a bottle of water. She opened the bottle and handed it to Casey as she sat down beside her.

"You did an amazing thing for them," Melinda whispered comfortingly.

"I owe that much to them, I owe them a lot more too."

"I don't think Liv would have been able to handle making the arrangements... not only emotionally, but physically as well. Her injuries and burns from the fire are still really raw; then add the surgery on top of all that," Melinda sighed. "And to make matters worse, if that's even possible at this point, Liv isn't talking. She hasn't said a single word since I've been here and El said that she only said 'no' twice to him."

"How do we help her?" Casey asked then raised the bottle of water to her lips and took a sip.

"I wish I knew the answer to that. I think all we can do is just be here for her and go with the flow. Honestly, she should still be in the hospital. I can't give her the level of care here that they can give her in the hospital."

"But that's where her daughter died, she probably doesn't trust them," Casey's voice was quiet. "She trusts you completely. And that trust is going to be paramount in getting her well."

Melinda nodded in agreement. "But she's never gonna be the same again. This will scar her for life."

"It'll be harder on Liv and El than anyone else, but it will scar all of us for life," Casey's voice broke as she wiped away a couple of tears. "We all loved Jordie like she was our own child."

"It's breaking my heart," Melinda admitted. "I can't imagine the level of pain Liv is feeling. I know her heart is shattered."

"Have you talked to the guys? Told them about the baby?"

"Yeah, they were as shocked as we were. No one even had a clue that Liv was pregnant."

"Not even Captain Cragen?" Casey asked, only slightly surprised. "She's so close to him."

"Not even him... and he's the closest thing she has to a father. El said that they wanted to keep it to themselves until she made it past the first trimester since the risk of miscarriage goes down after that."

"But she was fifteen weeks, right? She already made it past the first  
>trimester."<p>

"They were gonna announce it at the movie night we had planned for this Friday." Melinda answered sadly.

"Poor Liv..."

"And Jordie died in her arms, literally. Liv was holding her when she took her last breath," Melinda added, knowing that Fin had not told Casey that bit of knowledge.

"My gosh..." Casey breathed. "I don't know how Liv is still functioning."

"She's not," Melinda answered bluntly. "She's basically shut down. She's not talking and barely eating. All she's really doing is staring at the wall or the ceiling and crying."

Casey sat her now empty water bottle on the coffee table and rubbed her face with both hands. "I'd probably be doing the same thing if I were in her shoes."

"I would too." Melinda sighed.

The door to the master bedroom opened and Elliot stepped out. He glanced up and nodded, acknowledging Casey's presence, then quietly pulled the door closed behind him. He sighed as he crossed the living room and sat down in the recliner facing the couch. "I didn't hear you come in," he directed his comment toward Casey.

"I haven't been back very long," she answered. "Just been talking with Mel a bit. How's Liv?"

"Sleeping for now," Elliot sighed again and ran his hand up his face and over his head. "She's devastated."

"Of course," both women murmured softly.

"We'll never be able to thank you enough, Casey."

"Elliot," Casey shook her head. "You don't need to thank me."

"You stepped in and took care of things for Jordie... things that Liv and I couldn't handle right now."

"That's what godmothers are for, to step in and help when needed."

"But you've gone above and beyond..." Tears pooled in his eyes as he struggled to say more.

Casey rose from the couch and walked over to the recliner where Elliot sat. She laid her hand on his shoulder and spoke kindly. "Elliot, it was the least I could do. You guys have done, still do, so much for me and are always there in a heartbeat when I need help."

"You're family," Elliot answered simply.

"As you guys are to me. And that's why you don't need to thank me."

Elliot nodded as fresh tears flooded his eyes. In a silent acknowledgement, he reached up and patted Casey's hand as she gently squeezed his shoulder.

The sound of Olivia's soft sobs caused Elliot, as well as Casey and Melinda, to turn and look toward the master bedroom.

Elliot stood and started toward the bedroom but was stopped by Casey's voice. "Wait," she said. "Let me."

He looked back at her. "Are you sure?"

She nodded. "I haven't seen her yet, let me see if I can help. You rest a little and I'll come get you if she needs you."

"Alright, thanks Casey," he agreed as he returned to the recliner.

"Anytime," she answered with a small smile. She reached out and squeezed Melinda's hand as she passed by on her way to the bedroom. She knocked lightly then opened the door. "Liv?" she called softly as she entered the room and closed the door behind her. She paused for a moment, allowing her eyes to adjust to the low light of the darkened bedroom. "Oh, Liv…" she whispered once she could make out her friend's shape in the bed.

Olivia heard Casey, but didn't respond. She remained facing the wall, her back to the younger woman, as her quiet sobs continued.

Casey crossed the room and sat down on the edge of the bed. She reached over and laid a gentle hand on Olivia's back. "Hey sweetie," her voice was soft and kind.

Olivia stiffened slightly and moved away from her friend's touch.

"Honey, I'm so sorry," Casey continued, un-phased by Olivia's withdrawal. "I wish I knew what to say or do, but honestly I don't. All I know to say is that I'm here, whatever you need, whatever I can do… I'm here."

Olivia slowly rolled over onto her back and even more slowly, turned her gaze to her friend.

Casey expected the devastation but she was shocked to see the absolute hopelessness in Olivia's eyes. Recovering quickly, she reached over and gently wiped the tears off of Olivia's cheeks before they could reach the burns or the cut on her face. "I won't tell you that everything's going to be ok because you're like me; I know that right now, comments like that will only make you mad and push you further away," Casey whispered. "But I will say that it's ok to cry and to be heartbroken and to be angry. I'd actually be more worried if you weren't sad and angry. Just know that you're not alone, no matter how much it feels like you are. Elliot's here, Melinda and I are here, the guys are all going to be here for you too. This is not something that you have to carry alone. We're all here for you and to hold you up and help you carry the sorrow and pain."

Olivia held one arm over the incision on her abdomen and winced as she slowly raised herself into a sitting position. She looked at Casey for a moment before leaning into her.

Slightly surprised by the movement, Casey quickly but gently embraced Olivia. "It's ok to be angry," she repeated her earlier statement. "I'm angry too. This sucks and it's not fair."

Olivia, thankful that her best girl friend knew what she needed to hear, buried her face in Casey's shoulder as fresh tears and sobs took over her body.

Carefully, due to Olivia's injuries, Casey slightly tightened her grip around her friend. "How are you feeling?" she asked quietly. "Physically, I mean," she hurried to add.

Olivia remained mute, only allowing a quiet sigh to escape as she buried her face even further into her friend's shoulder.

"That was a pretty dumb question, wasn't it?" Casey spoke softly. "You're still really sore, I know. I would be really surprised if you weren't."

After a few moments, Olivia slowly raised her head and wiped the tears from her face. She looked over at the other woman, her eyes filled with deep devastation, fresh tears slipping from the corners.

With a quiet sigh, Casey began to address the issue that she had rather not talk about. "I went to the hospital and the funeral home," she stopped when she felt Olivia stiffen. "I know it's hard but you need to hear this," she said gently.

With yet another sigh, Olivia gave in and laid her head on Casey's shoulder. She closed her eyes and silently steeled herself for the information that she didn't want to hear.

Casey gave her a minute to prepare herself before she continued quietly. "I took care of the paperwork the hospital needed. At first they weren't going to let me do it but relented when they found me listed as Jordie's godmother in her file."

Without lifting her head from Casey's shoulder, Olivia nodded slightly, letting her friend know that she was listening.

Neither woman heard the bedroom door open quietly and neither saw Elliot as he stood in the now open doorway.

"Then I went to the funeral home. Jordie's funeral is tentatively set for this Friday at 10 am. But that can easily be changed if another day or time is better. I took her lavender dress, the frilly one with the white dasies print. I know that it's one of your favorites. I took her white tights and white Mary Jane shoes."

Olivia gave another slight nod, her head still resting on Casey's shoulder.

"When I went to choose the casket, there were so many choices. I wasn't really sure which one you would pick if you had been there. So, I thought about Jordie and about what colors she liked. I finally chose the white casket with a soft pink lining."

"That sounds beautiful." Both women jumped at the sound of Elliot's voice.

"Elliot… we didn't hear you come in." Casey said, surprise registering in her voice.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," he apologized. "It sounds like you made all the right choices," he said as he crossed the room and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"I just wanted to pick what you guys would have picked… I want everything to be perfect for Jordie."

"We know," Elliot paused and opened his arms as Olivia raised her head from Casey's shoulder and slowly scooted toward him, wincing as she moved. He wrapped her in his arms before continuing. "We'll never be able to thank you enough for stepping in when we…" he quickly blinked away tears as his voice caught. He cleared his throat but his voice still cracked as he continued. "When we couldn't…" he cleared his throat again, trying to keep the tears at bay. "Couldn't handle what needed to be done."

"You don't ever have to thank me. I'm just glad I could do something to help." Casey wiped away her own tears then slowly stood. She leaned over and kissed the top of Olivia's head. "I'm going to go, honey. But I'm just a phone call away if you need me."

Olivia nodded her thanks but maintained her silence.

"Call me anytime," Casey said, directing her comment toward both Olivia and Elliot. "I don't care what time it is, if I can help, just call."

"We will," Elliot forced a small smile. "You're a good friend, Casey. Thank you."

Casey gave a quick nod then walked out of the bedroom, quietly pulling the door closed.

"Hey," Melinda said from where she sat on the couch. "You ok?"

"Yeah," Casey sighed. "Liv's still not talking but at least she didn't ignore me."

"Did she respond to you?"

"She sat up, let me hug her and laid her head on my shoulder."

"Well, that's something." Melinda replied.

"She listened to me and let me tell her about the funeral arrangements."

Melinda raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Really? She didn't push you away?"

Casey shook her head. "No. She was crying and she didn't speak. But she listened."

"You must have done something right. Good job, Casey." Melinda smiled.

"I just told her that I was here for whatever she needs. And I told her I wasn't going to tell her that it will all be ok. That's not what she needs right now. She needs to hear that it's ok to be angry and that it's ok to cry, no matter what way she chooses to grieve."

"Everyone grieves in their own way. I didn't think of telling her that."

"Liv's a lot like me in this respect." Casey shrugged. "Being told that everything's going to be ok will only make her angry and push her away."

"You leaving?" Melinda asked as Casey walked toward the door.

"Yeah, I'll be back in the morning. But call me, no matter what time, if you guys need anything before I get back."

"Casey…"

The red-headed attorney stopped and turned back.

"I'm here for you too, if you need anything."

"I know, Mel." Casey smiled sadly, tears pooling in her eyes. "Thanks."

Melinda nodded. "We're all family, and that's what family does."

Casey gave another sad smile and walked out of the apartment, closing the door behind her.

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><p><strong><em>AN 2: So, what do you think?_**

**_How do Cragen, Fin and Munch react? Will the funeral go smoothly or hit a few bumps? More silence from Liv or will she break her silence? And what about Liv's injuries? These answers coming next… if you want! Let me know!_**

**_Leave me a review? Please?_**


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